Gasoline gauge



H. LUNDQUIST GASOLINE GAUGE July 14, 1931.l

Filed Jan. '7, 1927 Patented July 14, 1931 rinus. runner-Isn orv carcasa, irrlnois caserme, eener Application fired January 7,7192?. serial- No. 159,530;

This invention relates` to improvementsY in gasoline gauges.

lit is an object of" the invention tov provide a distributor element which serves for sepa.- rating 'an indicating liquidi into; a plurality of clearly discernible branches, to facilitate the-readingoil the gauge, andfto'indicate at a glance the approximate contents. of' a fuel tank remote from the gauge. Another object of the invention is to utilire a pressure Huid", as for instance air for the purpose of displacing an indicating liquid andi to render this displacement pro portionat'e tothe amount of fuel contained in 15 the tank. It is also anA object of the innention. to provide gauge with a very simple distributor element which: can be manufactured at an extremely low expense, butn can readily' be replaced'whenever desired.

lVith these and numerous other objects in View an embodiment of' the invention is described: in the following: specification, in which reference is.` made tothe accompanying figures ine the drawings: n

Fig. l is partly a perspective and partly a sectional View of the gauge connected with a gasoline tank;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational' viewof the gauge int-selii;

Fig; 3i is a vertical sectional View on-l line :3f-3 0f' y Fig. 45 is a horizontal sectional View' on line- 1J-a oil' Fig.. 2', on a larger-scale,r and Fig; 5 is a perspective iiew of the ddstributor on a larger scale.

rEhegasoline tank l0 is` shown as a cylindfrical tank, yalfthough it may lraive any de siredi crossfsection; It may be equipped' with the necessary tali-fes and openings tor or tapping the tank and may be connected With the carburetor in any approved Way. Ai pipe 111 is securedf rigidlyw'ithin thistank, as for instance,v by" the lug l2f-which is tastened tov thel outside of the tarrlcand which has` an opening wherein a reduced portions 13 ofthe pipe'tli isseate-d', so, as to preclude the entrance of airftlmrough the opening of the lug.A The latter is threaded on: its vouter surface toi receiveian adjustable cap nut la which 50 has a packing 15 in engagementv With a conduit ll. in; communicationl With the reduced portion: ofi the pipeY ll.

The conduit, which may be flexible or rigid, entends from the uel tank tok the gauge. riihis instrument is secured at a point where can be readilyobserved`v by the attendant ot the engine or by the dri-Ver of the automobile. As' shown in` Fig. l the gauge G is. mounted' on.- a board 127' which is a portion of the dash board 18 odi an automobile7 the board l? being preferably that structure on= which. other instruments, switches or locks. are-inounted.

rlh-e gauge comprises a casing in the form of a circular plate 119 With` an. annular flange c:

Y tiallly entirely about the portion; 24, each of the. ribs havinga gapon one side of the pors.

tion. 2.4 ofthe body, and all of the gaps are ini alignment whereby a practically continu;- ous grooye126isformedi on this. side of the body 24k.

This groote is` continued through the head 22 of the distributor element and also. is con.- tinued by a bore 2.7 through the plate 100i the gauge.I The head 231j` home-rer, is pro, vided with a passageway 28? communicating at one end with a bore 29.17 which terminates the space between the lowest rib 25 and the vtop surface of they head1 23, the other end of the passage 28 being in communication With a short bore 8O Which leads to the rear surface of the head. As shown. in Fig. 8 this bore. 30: is in communication with an opening 31 leading through the plate 19' and communicating withl a collector receptacle 32 with which also the conduit. t6 is. connected.

A closure plate 33 is placed directly over the circular body 19 of the gauge and that portion of the closure plate 33 which overlies the reduced part 24 of the distributor E has an opening in which a glass plate 311 is inserted. Gradation marks are disposed on the cover plate 33 adjacent the Window 34, the spacing of these marks preferably corresponding to the spacing of the ribs 29 orV of the grooves formed by these ribs. The cover plate may be secured in position in any approved manner-such, for instance, by a suitable adhesive, the cover plate being sulficiently resilient to permit of its being sprung into position as shown. The glass panel or Window Sil may be secured in the opening provided in the plate 33 by a suitable Waterproof adhesive similarly to the securement of the cover plate 38.

The collector receptacle 32 is filled with an indicating liquid, as for instance mercury, or with some other liquid of conspicuous color, contrasting with the color of the distributor E. The latter may be black or may be made of material which can be painted in any desired color.

In the operation of the device the fuel introduced into the tank 10 will cause a displacement of the air contained in said tank through the pipe l() and conduit 16. This air or any other pressure fluid Will act upon the indicator liquidrin the collector receptacle 32 by forcing the same through the bore 81 and passage Ways 30, 28 and 29 into the loWermost groove ofthe distributorE. Owing to the peculiar construction of the distributor element the liquid will be spread over a relatively large surface, so as to become clearly discernible to the attendant. The projections on the distributor element separated by grooves vvill have the effect of dividing this indicator liquid into a plurality of branches which are clearly separated from each other and which extend parallel to each other. The indicator liquid having been spread in these branches in the form of a thin film will expel the air from the grooves through the bore 26 in the gauge and with the recession of the fuel in the tank 10 the atmospheric air will enter through the same i? bore to cause an equivalent recession of the indicator liquid back to the receptacle 32. The provision of the ribs 25 on the distributor E Will also act in the nature of baffles and thereby prevent excessive fluctuation of the f mercury or the like in the gauge whereby the latter Will display the indicator liquid at a uniform level varying only with the definite increase or decrease resoectively of the fuel in the tank 10.

I claim:

1. In a gauge of the character described, a plate having a recess, a distributor seated in said recess, the distributor having means for dividing a pressure actuated indicating liquid into aplurality of branches exposed at one side, a cover plate sealing the exposed side of said distributor and retaining the latter in position, and a Window in said cover plate overlying and sealing the exposed side of said distributor.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a level indicator including means for distributing a pressure actuated liquid over a relatively large surface, said surface having thereon a plurality of superposed projections affording parallel spaced channels each having adjacent portions thereof exposed to View and having major portions thereof isolated from each other and said projections being notched to form passage- Ways for connecting the unexposed portions of said channels.

3. A device for indicating liquid level comprising a plate provided With a polygonal recess, and means for distributing the indicating liquid comprising a polygonal body adapted to snugly tit in said recess and having one exposed side, said body having a plurality of encompassing spaced parallel ribs which are provided With alined recesses, a

cover plate, and a transparent plate carried thereby disposed over the exposed side of said body and engaging the adjacent ribs.

et. In a gauge of the character described, a distributor element provided with means for dividing a portion of a pressure actuated indicating liquid into a plurality of equal sized horizontal parallel branches at different heights having each a portion thereof exposed to view.

5. In a liquid level gauge, an indicator including a block having a series of transverse communicating exposed grooves around said body so connected that a liquid rising therein must completely fill each groove in succession before entering the next succeeding groove, and a casing for said block.

6. In a liquid level gauge, an indicator including a block having a series of communicating exposed horizontal substantially parallel grooves around said body so connected that a liquid rising therein must completely lill each groove in succession before entering the next succeeding groove, and a casing for said block. l Y

7. In a liquid level gauge, an indicator including a block having a series of communicating exposed substantially horizontal parallel grooves around said body and said block having a substantially continuous groove so establishing communication between the parallel grooves that a liquid rising therein must completely lill each groove in succession before entering the next succeeding groove, and a casing for said block.

8. In a gauge of the character described, a distributor element provided with means for dividing a portion of a pressure actuated indicating liquid into a plurality of horizontal parallel branches at different heights,

the branches being of equal surface area and equally spaced from each other.

9. In a level gauge, in combination, a cas ing having a recess, a liquid distributor mounted therein and having a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal passageways, a source of liquid, said distributor also being provided with openings for placing said passageways in communication with said source of liquid and with each other, and a portion of each of said passageways being exposed to view at one side of said casing.

10. In a gauge of the character described, a distributor element comprising a body portion, equally spaced transverse ribs around said body portion forming channels therein, and said body portion having a passageway therein for pressure actuatedindicating fluid communicating with a lower one of said chan- QQ nels.

l1. In a gauge of the character described, a circular plate having a diametrical groove, a distributor element seated in said groove, the distributor element comprising a body portion, equally spaced transverse ribs around said body portion forming channels therein, each of said ribs being provided with a gap, and said body portion having a passageway therein for pressure actuated indicating fluid communicating with a lower one of said channels.

l2. In a gauge of the character described, a plate having a groove, a distributor element seated in said groove, the distributor element comprising a body portion, equally spaced transverse ribs around said body portion forming channels therein, each of said ribs being provided with a gap, and said body portion having a passageway therein for lo pressure actuated indicating fluid co1n1nunieating with a lower one of said channels, the plate having a bore in communication with said gaps.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature at 10 South LaSalle St., Chicago, Illinois.

HANS LUNDQUIST. 

